


it's easy to be loved

by carissima



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: F/M, Gender or Sex Swap, Genderswap, Sexswap, girl!Liam - Freeform, liam wakes up as a girl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-19
Updated: 2014-05-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 19:33:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1659926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carissima/pseuds/carissima
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Harry, focus!" Liam groans, closing her eyes. "I'm a girl!"</p><p>And yeah, Harry's noticed, despite his best efforts. He's trying not to pay attention to how smooth and lovely Liam's skin is and how thick and silky Liam's hair is and how it reaches almost halfway down her back, because all he wants to do is touch it to see if it's as soft as it looks. And he's trying not to notice how Liam's neck arches because he's got a desperate need to bend down and taste her skin.</p><p>Most of all, he's trying really, <em>really</em> hard not to notice that Liam has breasts.</p><p>Or Liam wakes up as a girl and Harry realises some things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	it's easy to be loved

**Author's Note:**

> I want to be absolutely clear so no one starts reading this thinking that it's something it's not. In this fic, Liam is a boy, who wakes up with a female body and Liam identifies herself as a girl/female while she has a female body, and as a male/boy when he has a male body. Harry does indulge in a bit of gender stereotyping while Liam is a girl. If there's anything about this plot that isn't for you, I advise you not to read it! 
> 
> I want to thank [Zaf](http://archiveofourown.org/users/heliotropelied) from the bottom of my heart for reading this over to help me with gender issues and clearing a few things up for me that hopefully come across in the fic, especially when she doesn't even read the pairing! She's an angel and wonderful and I can't thank her enough!

Harry loves the last show on each leg of their tour. Something electric happens and everything feels magnified; everything's bigger and louder and he feels more alive than ever. When they take their final bow and wave goodbye to South America, he races offstage, feeling Niall bump into his back and he holds out a hand to steady them both, hearing Niall's low chuckle in his ear.

"S'get drunk, Harry!" Niall shouts excitedly and well, Harry's not going to argue with that. They've mostly been stuck inside their hotels for security reasons for the past two weeks and while they understand the situation, there's a certain itch inside all of them, like they just want to break free and tear around the streets of São Paulo or something. Since that's not an option, getting drunk and having yet another party sounds pretty idyllic all the same.

Harry slings his arm around Niall's shoulders and they make their way to the cars. Harry slips into the back and pulls Louis next to him, grinning at Niall’s pout as he settles his head onto Louis' shoulder, ignoring Louis' grumbles about Harry's hair being far too long because it's not like _Louis_ can talk either lately but his hand sneaks around Harry's back all the same and Harry smiles into his shoulder and he's just _happy_.

He's happy when he stumbles into his hotel room and showers because he's always so sticky after their shows and he's happy when he throws on the same clothes he's been wearing all tour because they’re comfortable and these days, that's all he really cares about. He's happy when he knocks on Zayn's door to hurry him up because it's his turn to get Zayn to the party at a reasonable hour and he's even happy when it takes twenty minutes to get Zayn dressed and ready and out the door because that's 18 minutes down on the last time it was Harry's turn.

He's even happier when he's three drinks in, posing for photos with hotel staff and guests and laughing at Niall's attempts to chat up a pretty girl who clearly doesn't speak a word of English, let alone understand Niall's accent which always thickens when he’s drinking. Harry leans back against the bar and orders a few more rounds because they're celebrating and he feels like he's on top of the fucking world, grabbing the drinks and passing them around to the boys as he finds them.

Niall grins at him and nods not-at-all-subtly at the girl he's talking to. Harry gives her an apologetic look as he passes that she doesn't seem to understand at all so maybe Niall's got a chance after all. Harry's still laughing about it when he finds Zayn and passes him the drink with a raised eyebrow because Zayn's glued to his phone as usual and Harry's tempted to swing back after he's found Liam and Louis to make sure Zayn has fun, but he settles for swiping Zayn's phone with a cheeky grin and stuffing it down his trousers.

"You think I won't go in there and get it?" Zayn asks with a speculative look and a wickedly sinful grin that has Harry laughing in delight.

"Oh, I know you will," Harry says, waggling his eyebrows suggestively as Zayn gives him a gentle shove. "Looking forward to it, in fact."

Zayn lifts his hands like he's surrendering and Harry shimmies away with a playful smile, Zayn's phone still tucked in his waistband as he spies Louis.

"Here," he says, putting down the tray he's been carrying like a waiter for his own amusement and passes Louis' drink over. He slips his hand down his trousers as Louis waits patiently, barely even reacting as Harry fishes the phone out. "I confiscated Zayn's phone. That boy is an unsociable menace. Go get high with him or something."

Louis laughs, reaching up to pet Harry's hair and tug it a little. Harry pouts at him but Louis just winks and slips away. Harry watches as he sidles up to Zayn and soon enough they're sneaking out of the party together and Zayn looks far happier, so if Harry has to shake a few more hands or take a few more photos to make up for Zayn and Louis' absence, it's worth it.

He moves through the crowd, seeking Liam out but it takes him a good ten minutes to find Liam exactly where Harry should have looked in the first place, leaning against the grand piano in the next room, looking bouncy and excited as he gestures wildly with his hands at the guy he's talking to.

"Hey," Harry interrupts gently, a charming smile for Liam's mate as he hands over Liam's drink. "Finally found you."

"I'll let you catch up," the guy says with a wide smile for Liam and a polite smile at Harry before he slips into the crowd. Interesting, Harry thinks a bit hazily before he turns to Liam, who's crinkly-eyeing him.

"Having fun?" Harry asks, slipping his arm around Liam's shoulders and pulling him close. Harry's not sure which one of them is more drunk because Liam looks drunk as soon as he touches alcohol but Harry's feeling a bit wobbly himself. They're currently balancing each other out somehow though so maybe it doesn’t really matter.

"Lots," Liam says happily, taking a sip of his drink through the straw Harry deliberately chose for him because Harry is all in favour of indulging Liam's whims, including drinking fairly strong alcohol through a fluorescent green straw. "Where are the others?"

"Zayn and Louis have snuck off somewhere," Harry tells him, leaning in close to whisper in his ear like it's a secret. "Niall's by the bar trying to hook up with a girl who doesn't speak any English, from what I can tell."

Liam laughs, and it's a full-throated laugh that bubbles up inside of him. Harry laughs with him because Liam's adorable when he's happy and he cuddles up a bit closer. "What about you?" Liam asks, tilting his head to rest it on Harry's shoulder. "Shouldn't you be trying to hook up with girls who can't speak English?"

"Heyyy," Harry protests although it's half-hearted at best. He digs his fingers into Liam's skin in mild retaliation. "Maybe later."

Liam giggles and it tickles Harry's neck, making him shiver a bit. He reaches over to bop Liam's nose, amused when he wrinkles it and pouts at him.

"Just don't get too wasted Liam, we've got a long flight home tomorrow," Harry says seriously, letting his hand drag across Liam's shoulders as he pulls away. "Being hungover on a plane is no fun."

Liam takes another sip from his straw and sticks his tongue out at Harry, who flicks him the finger over his shoulder as he leaves the room, Liam's warm laughter trailing behind him.

He winds up propping up the bar, surrounded by Lou and Ben and Caroline and a few fans, one of whom ends up tucked under his arm somehow. She's got a scent that's driving Harry a bit crazy, sweet and fresh and completely at odds to the message she's not so subtly sending him, which is that she'd probably quite like to come back to his hotel room and fuck his brains out. He's not adverse to it in theory, but he's been burned too many times to risk it again. Not being a fucking saint, however, he nuzzles into her hair gently and enjoys the way she turns slightly and presses into him, her soft skin rubbing so slowly and firmly against his and driving him just a bit crazy.

"Think Liam's had enough," Ben murmurs next to him and Harry lifts his head from where he'd been brushing his lips against the girl's shoulder, because he's been celibate for far too long and her skin tastes a bit like coconut and he really fucking likes coconut. It takes him a few seconds to focus, finding Liam leaning against the doorway, eyes squinting but no smile on his face. In fact, Harry thinks with a frown, he looks desperately lonely and well, that's all wrong.

He shifts, giving the girl an apologetic pat on the shoulder before he cuts through the crowd and ends up with Liam tucked more comfortably under his arm instead.

"Alright?" Harry murmurs, already heading for the stairs as Liam's arm slips around his waist.

"M'okay Harry," Liam mumbles, his head slumping down onto Harry's shoulder as he guides them down the stairs slowly. "M'bit drunk."

"I can see that mate," Harry says quietly, his hand dipping into Liam's low-slung jeans pocket for his keycard as he manoeuvres them out of the stairwell and onto their floor. "We'll be home tomorrow and you can disappear for a few days, yeah? Go shopping and see your mum and everyone."

"You could come and stay with me for a few days," Liam says earnestly, his voice slurring slightly as Harry tries to keep him upright and open the door at the same time. Once inside, he helps Liam to his bed and sits him down, smiling fondly at the way Liam looks up at him with those big, soppy eyes of his and a hopeful, if lopsided, smile on his face.

They've spent the last few weeks in each other's pockets and Harry wants to go home and see his mum and Gemma and the mates he sees so rarely at the moment and he's got a million things on his schedule to attend. But he finds himself saying, "Yeah, sounds brilliant Liam," and Liam's smile gets wider, so there's that. Harry moves to take Liam's boots off and Liam falls back against the bed, arms flung wide and eyes closed, but his smile still firmly in place.

"Sleep it off, Liam," Harry murmurs, deciding against trying to get Liam's jeans off even though they're hanging dangerously low on his hips already.

"Sweet dreams Harry," Liam mumbles and he shifts, curling up on his side until his knees are practically hugged into his chest and his face is buried into his pillow.

Terribly amused, Harry pats Liam’s thigh, brushing his thumb against the soft denim before he stands up and takes a moment to tell himself sternly that going back up to the party and finding that girl would be a terrible idea that he'll probably regret in the morning, before he leaves Liam's room and heads to his own.

The cold shower he has before turning in for the night does nothing to quell the fact that celibacy is a shitty life choice, sometimes.

*

Harry's the first one down to breakfast, his suitcase packed and standing smug and proud and alone in the lobby while he stands in front of the fruit selection of the hotel restaurant, trying to decide between mango and watermelon. In the end, he goes for both and sits down with an easy smile for the pretty waitress and a request for fresh-squeezed orange juice, if it's not too much trouble. He gets a flirty smile in return and a quick nod before he turns back to his fruit bowl and tucks in, scrolling through his phone messages and shooting off quick messages to his mum and Gemma with promises to call as soon as he lands. Someone slides into a chair opposite him and he drops his phone to the table, grinning as he sees a very hungover Liam slumped in the chair, hair still wet from his shower and about ten layers of clothes hanging off his body, as Liam's taken to doing recently.

"Feeling rough?" Harry aims for sincerity but he thinks it falls somewhere around wickedly amused.

Liam glares at him and Harry turns in his seat, asking the waitress for coffee. He gestures to Liam with a wink and the waitress blushes before she grabs the coffee pot and pours Liam a generous cup.

"Better keep it coming I think," Harry murmurs as Liam takes a sip of coffee and closes his eyes, letting the caffeine work its magic. He spears a piece of mango into his mouth and chews slowly as he stands up to get Liam a plate of the greasiest food he can find. When he returns, Liam's looking up at him with such a pitifully grateful look that Harry ruffles his hair and it's a measure of how terrible Liam feels that he just lets Harry without protest or moving away, fussy as he’s been with his appearance lately.

"I'll have to work this all off tomorrow," Liam grumbles as he cuts through a rasher of bacon, not looking the least bit sorry about it.

"Not an ounce of fat on you, mate," Harry says quietly, partly because it's true and Harry hates him a tiny bit for it and partly because Liam has a tendency to push himself too hard and they all agreed, the four of them in a secret group meeting, to stop Liam from burning out like he did at the end of the last tour. "But we can go for a jog in the morning when we're home, if you like."

Liam's head snaps up and he gives Harry a considering look that Harry meets steadily. "You're staying then?"

"Promised I would," Harry says, waving his fork and the piece of watermelon hanging precariously on it at Liam's face. "A day or two, yeah? Before I head up to see Mum."

Liam beams before he takes another sip of coffee and Harry feels a warmth steal through him like it always does when Liam looks so delighted to have Harry to himself. It doesn't happen as often as it should, Harry knows. Not when he's in LA or Liam's hiding back home or the other boys are around to distract them. He nudges one of his long legs out, wrapping his foot around Liam's ankle and leaving it there comfortably.

He’s still hooked around Liam by the time the rest of the boys stumble in for their own breakfast. Liam's had two more cups of coffee and looks more normal, although his pupils are a bit larger than they probably should be and he's drumming on the table so Harry puts his hand over Liam's cup when the waitress comes over for another refill and shakes his head, ignoring the way Liam pouts and crosses his arms because there's absolutely no way he's sitting on a plane with Liam high on caffeine for 11 hours.

Harry makes sure he sits next to Zayn in the car because Zayn looks as tired as Harry feels and they curl up together on the back seat. Cuddling with Zayn is always a problematic mix of good and bad, Harry knows. Zayn's always up for napping together and he's brilliant at being quiet and he smells really good, like all the time. On the other hand, he's got a really bony body so no matter where Harry rests his head, he can't ever really get comfortable. In compromise, Harry steals Niall's spare hoodie and shoves it against Zayn's shoulder as a cushion. Harry smugly closes his eyes and promptly falls fast asleep.

At the airport, he leans against Niall because Zayn's trudged over to Louis and Niall loves cuddles more than anyone. The problem with Niall's cuddles is that he can never stay still for long. His cuddles are short, intense bursts of love then he's off to find someone else or to pick up his guitar. Harry octopuses him though, slinging his leg over into Niall's lap as he hugs his side, all but daring Niall to try and get up. Liam bursts out laughing when he sees them and Harry lazily flips him off with a slow smile that Liam shakes his head at before they're being called for boarding.

On the plane, Harry's a bit surprised that Liam doesn't sit with him but he just leans into Zayn and murmurs something comforting because Zayn is still a nervous flier, even if he's loads better than the first time (and none of them let Zayn and Louis sit together because Louis can't help himself from making jokes about planes that make Zayn go pale and crave cigarettes that he can't smoke onboard). He can hear Liam and Louis talking across from them and Louis' scribbling what Harry assumes are song lyrics because those two can't seem to help themselves these days and Niall's somewhere behind them, near Josh and Sandy if the loud yelling about who the best ever band is anything to go by.

When the stewardess comes past, Harry asks politely for grapefruit juice, smiling up at her charmingly and barely noticing the way her eyes flicker with interest. She hurries back with his drink and he answers her questions about what they've been up to and where they're going next, trying his best to end the conversation sooner rather than later because he mostly just wants to fall asleep on Zayn's bony shoulder and wake up at Heathrow, and luckily he's saved by Niall, who wants to know if there are any extra blankets onboard.

"Are you two fighting over the stewardess again?" Louis asks loudly and Harry rolls his eyes good-naturedly because it was _one time_ and okay, maybe it was _twice_ but they're all equal and square and Harry hopes they outgrew that terrible time well over a year ago.

He turns to Louis to tell him just that when he catches Liam's gaze and he pauses, lips parted and the words dying on his lips because Liam looks sad again for some reason and Harry has to fight the urge to go over and cuddle him. When he blinks though, Liam's smiling and staring down at whatever lyrics they've been writing and Harry wonders if he imagined the whole thing. He turns back towards Zayn with a frown, sips at his juice and figures he'll talk to Liam when they get back to his place and see what's up with him.

*

It's late by the time they land and Zayn shuffles off first, hugging the boys goodbye with _I'll miss you's_ hanging in the air before he just disappears the way Zayn does. Louis' next with an engulfing group hug before he races off, spying his driver and whooping about tea and homemade cake before bed. Liam hasn't said a word about Harry coming back to his, so Harry keeps quiet too as they wait for Niall to finish saying his tearful goodbyes to the band before he hugs them both tight with promises of catching up over beers next week before he heads off too, leaving Liam and Harry standing there alone.

"Back to yours then Liam?" Harry nudges him carefully.

Liam nods, his eyes brightening like he'd been expecting Harry to change his mind. Harry just slips his arm around Liam's shoulders and pulls him towards the door, telling Paul as they go that they only need one driver. They climb into Liam's car and it's a short drive back to Liam's place and a quick race inside before they can be spotted.

Liam disappears off to bed almost immediately, apologising and promising Harry that he'll be better in the morning after some proper sleep. Harry gives him a shove and rolls his eyes, like Harry would expect Liam to entertain him when they're both tired as hell before he falls into the guest bedroom, forcing himself to strip and wash his face and brush his teeth before he falls headfirst into clean sheets that smell a bit like Liam. Harry breathes in deeply before he falls fast asleep.

*

The problem with staying at Liam's, Harry thinks with a silent groan as he shoves his head under his pillow, is that Liam gets up far too early and Harry sleeps too lightly. He tries to ignore the sounds of Liam moving around in the next room and sighs gratefully when he hears a door closing to what he assumes must be Liam's ensuite.

When he hears the scream, he falls out of bed face-first onto the floor, scrambling around to get to his feet as he tries to untangle himself from the bed sheets, half-dazed and his heart racing as he staggers towards Liam's room before he can even process a thought because _Liam doesn't scream_.

"Liam?" he calls through the ensuite door even as his hand is on the door handle, pushing down.

"NO!" Liam yells and he sounds panicked, which is something Harry _never_ associates with Liam, and there's something else a bit off about his voice but Harry's too busy ignoring the hell out of Liam's request, as usual, because he's starting to panic himself, and he pushes his way into the bathroom.

Harry stops dead as he stares at Liam.

Or who he _thinks_ is Liam. It's hard to tell, because Liam has long, wavy hair and shapely, long legs that lead to cute little hips under his, no wait, _her_ boxers.

Oh god, Harry thinks absurdly, Liam's hands, her delicate, slender, pretty hands are crossed over her bare breasts and she looks horrified.

"Harry, what the fuck? I just woke up like this?" Liam sounds more crossed than upset and Harry bites back the crazy urge to laugh as he forces his eyes away from parts of Liam's body that he really shouldn't be staring at to meet Liam's gaze. She still looks like Liam, just a bit softer, he thinks. Her eyes look the same, Harry realises with a start and he does the first thing he can think of, which is to turn around and grab the towel on the back of the door and help wrap it around Liam, trying his hardest not to look to save them both a lot of embarrassment because god, Liam is _beautiful_.

When she's wrapped in the towel, which swamps her and makes her look so adorable that Harry has to swallow hard against the sudden lump in his throat, he helps her tie it across her chest in the way he's seen girls do. She looks up at him gratefully and Harry can't stop himself from bopping her cute little nose, smiling when Liam's lips curve into a small, wobbly smile that almost looks familiar.

"Turns out Zayn's not the only hot girl in the band," Harry murmurs, delighted when Liam lets out a shaky laugh and he reaches out to stroke her cheek, grinning when he feels Liam's skin heat under his touch.

"Harry, focus!" Liam groans, closing her eyes. "I'm a girl!"

And yeah, Harry's _noticed_ , despite his best efforts. He's trying not to pay attention to how smooth and lovely Liam's skin is and how thick and silky Liam's hair is and how it reaches almost halfway down her back, because all he wants to do is touch it to see if it's as soft as it looks. And he's trying not to notice how Liam's neck arches because he's got a desperate need to bend down and taste her skin.

Most of all, he's trying really, _really_ hard not to notice that Liam has breasts.

"Well," he says, moving behind Liam and turning her to look at them in the mirror. "What are you going to do about it?" he asks reasonably. His hands slide down Liam's arms and it feels odd because there are no familiar, firm biceps under his palms, just toned, smooth, tanned arms. Feminine arms. Intrigued, Harry keeps sliding his hands down until his fingers tangle with Liam's, just like they've done a million times before. Except now Liam's hands are smaller, more elegant and shapely and he likes the way they fit inside his. He’s always liked the way their hands fit together.

"I don't know," Liam says in a small voice that Harry can't bear, not in that tone that reminds him of Liam's natural tone but a few notches higher, so he turns and gathers her up in his arms and hugs her close. "Harry, you're squashing me!"

With a shaky laugh, Harry loosens his grip and Liam's head drops onto his shoulder and her arms wrap around his neck. It's the same hug they've shared too many times to count, in a hundred different hotels or on the tour bus or in rehearsals or wherever they've been, but he's never breathed in Liam's scent before and he's never felt the desire to nuzzle his face into Liam's hair before and he's never, _ever_ let his gaze linger on Liam's lips before and wondered what it'd be like to kiss Liam before.

"What's it feel like, being a girl?" he can't help but ask and he hears Liam giggle. Christ. It's not Liam's normal, husky giggle but a higher pitched, girlish giggle that, Jesus, it _does_ something to Harry. "Do you even feel like a girl, like, inside? Should I be calling you a girl?"

"It’s weird," Liam admits, lifting her head up to look at Harry and he's mesmerised by her long eyelashes and perfectly shaped eyebrows. "Everything feels different. But like, yeah. I don’t feel exactly how I felt when I was like, a boy. So I guess I feel like a girl." Liam glances up at Harry and looks as confused as Harry feels.

"Well, everything looks right to me, whatever you feel like," Harry murmurs, his voice rolling into husky and he gets a slap to the chest in response. "Hey, it's not my fault you make a hot girl."

Liam blushes and Harry's jaw actually drops. He hurriedly drops his hands and steps back, ignoring Liam's confused, hurt look as he shoves his hands over his crotch because he's only in his boxers and god, Liam looks _sexy_ but Liam's his bandmate and normally very much a boy and hopefully sometime soon he'll be a boy again and they can laugh about the time Liam woke up as a girl.

Hopefully.

"What are we going to do, Harry?" Liam asks and she sounds scared, which makes Harry feel like a complete dick because his bandmate has somehow turned into a girl and all Harry can think about is getting her naked and into his bed, or Liam's bed because he's not fussy, and maybe licking her all over.

Shit.

He's going to hell.

"Maybe you'll just like, turn back tonight or something," Harry says somewhat optimistically, even if he isn't quite convinced. He reaches over to rub his hands down her arms in a move that he hopes is comforting.

"You think?" Liam asks hopefully and her eyes brighten and she looks so like Liam for a second that he has to blink a few times before her softer features come back into focus. It's all horribly dangerous for his well-being, he thinks, because he's noticing how gorgeous Liam is, especially her eyes and her mouth, which looks far too kissable to be safe for either of them.

"I just ..." Liam breaks off and stares at the floor and it's just so _old_ Liam, the Liam he first met who was scared and unsure and closed off that Harry's tugging her into a hug before he can stop himself, just desperate to get that look off her face.

"Harry," she murmurs into his shoulder and he hears a tiny sob that has Harry pressing his lips firmly against Liam's temple in comfort. Liam makes a tiny snuffling sound that seems a little less terrified and Harry kisses her cheek, smiling down at her. Liam attempts a watery smile even a tear slips down her cheek and Harry feels it like a punch in the gut. His face hardens as he swipes the tear away, his hands cupping her face and he kisses her, fierce and determined, trying to reassure her somehow that this will all be alright. When he pulls back, eyes wide as he realises what the fuck he's just done, Liam's staring at him with big, lovely, soulful eyes and Harry stumbles back, letting go of Liam as he tries to put some distance between them.

"This is so fucked up," Liam mutters under her breath, making Harry laugh because she's still Liam. She's so definitely Liam and that makes all these pesky feelings Harry's suddenly been faced with so much more difficult.

"Maybe you should get dressed," Harry says, his voice sounding strangled because he's certain this whole situation would be better if he wasn't mostly naked and embarrassingly turned on by Liam, and Liam wasn't covered only by a towel and they weren't in an enclosed space. "I'll uh, let you shower."

He opens the door, gives Liam a vague smile that he hopes doesn't look too panicked and he runs for the safety of the guestroom.

*

He was so completely wrong. It wasn't any better in the slightest to be in Liam's kitchen, watching Liam walking around in a t-shirt that hangs off her slender shoulders and joggers that she's had to roll up at the waist and the ankles. Harry's not sure he's ever been attracted to a girl's ankles before, but Liam really does have lovely ankles.

"Had to shave my bloody legs with a disposable razor and cut myself a million times," Liam's muttering as she fills the kettle. "And everywhere else as well. Girls do _not_ have it easy."

Harry manages not to laugh, but it's a close call. He watches Liam, sees the way she's gradually becoming more used to her body. She makes tea and puts the cups down at the table. Harry catches her wrist in his hand and pulls her gently towards him. She topples into his lap with a laugh, her hands on his shoulders for balance.

"This okay?" he asks quietly as his hands settle on her hips.

She gives him a look, looking up through her eyelashes and he can feel himself stirring. "Yeah, it's okay," she says after a moment and curls up against him with a sigh. Harry strokes his hand up and down her back, feeling her press closer into him.

"Did you do anything else interesting in the shower then?" Harry asks, grinning when Liam huffs out a laugh into his neck.

"Might have checked out my new body," Liam says. She wriggles around in his lap and Harry groans silently because Liam's soft and smells so good and he loves her and it's a very confusing combination.

"Yeah?" Harry asks because he's a masochist really. "Everything in working order?"

"Seems to be," Liam says before she blushes bright red.

Harry bursts out laughing as Liam buries her face into his neck. "Jesus Liam, you didn't!"

"Course I did, like you wouldn’t if it was you," Liam mutters and Harry laughs harder, a hand settling on one of her thighs and squeezing gently. "S'different, when you're doing it to yourself. S'nice."

"Yeah?" Harry's hand stills on Liam's hair. He has a sudden image of a naked, wet Liam in the shower, fingers slowly pushing inside her, her eyes closed and biting her bottom lip. He barely stifles a groan.

"Yeah," Liam says breathlessly and her lips are somehow brushing against his ear, her warm breath making him shiver as he desperately tries to remind himself that this is _Liam_. "Makes me curious about like, what other stuff feels like."

"We should call the boys," Harry says quickly, reaching for his tea so his hands are occupied because he's seconds away from trailing his hand up Liam's thigh so they can both find out what other stuff feels like.

"Oh god, Louis' going to laugh his head off," Liam groans as she gets to her feet, picks up her own cup and moves across the room to lean against the counter. "Niall's going to want to check out my tits and Zayn will cuddle me and tell me everything will be okay."

"Sounds like a normal day to me," Harry teases and Liam laughs, but it's a little stilted and Harry frowns down into his mug while he listens to Liam sending a quick text to the band.

"If I don't turn back tonight, I'm going to have to go get clothes or something," Liam says eventually.

Harry wants to protest because Liam looks ridiculously cute in her clothes that hang off her smaller frame; the way her shirt shows off her collarbone and clings to her bare breasts that Harry is very gentlemanly trying not to notice. But the idea that Liam might stay like a girl for any extended period of time is something they're going to have to talk about. As a band.

*

Liam's spot on with her assessment of their bandmates. Niall's got his hands around Liam, tickling her and making her giggle and yell a lot. Louis is just laughing at the two of them, his arm slung around Harry's waist like an anchor because god knows he needs one right now. Zayn is staring at them on Harry's other side and Harry can all but hear him thinking. He slips his hand into Zayn's and squeezes.

"Fucking weird," Louis murmurs quietly. "He just woke up like that?"

"She," Harry corrects absently. Liam glances up at that and gives Harry a soft smile that he takes as affirmation. He smiles back at her. "Yeah. Heard her screaming in the bathroom."

"Well, Liam's a beautiful girl," Louis says cheerfully and Harry has to laugh because isn’t _that_ the understatement of the century. "How long do you think it's gonna last?"

"No idea," Harry says wryly. "I'm not exactly an expert on bandmates who change sex overnight, you know."

"Good thing we're on a break for a while," Zayn says finally, and Harry couldn't agree more. "Everyone will think Liam's just keeping a low profile."

"I'm surprised she's not freaking out more," Louis says slowly. "I mean, she's a girl. It's Liam. You know?"

"I think she's having too much fun as a girl to be honest," Harry drawls and Louis crows in delight at Harry’s insinuation.

"That's amazing! Good on Liam. First thing I'd do too," Louis assures them, as if it'd be in any doubt. "You'll stay with her, yeah?"

At first Harry thinks he's talking to Zayn and he bristles, because he was the one who's been here all along. Then he realises Louis is looking at him and he nods in relief. Of course he's staying with her.

"Hey, stop feeling me up!" Liam squeals and Harry turns, taking a step forward before he realises Niall's rolled up over Liam, pinning her to the ground and waggling his eyebrows at her suggestively.

He knows Niall's not taking advantage but she's _Liam_ and Harry feels responsible for her. Protective, even, which he _knows_ is ridiculous. "Let her up, Nialler," he murmurs, and Niall's eyes dart up, curious. He gets to his feet and pats Harry on the shoulder.

"Just playing, mate," he murmurs quietly enough that only Harry can hear him but he pretends not to, bending down to help a flushed and breathless Liam to her feet. His arm slips naturally around her waist and she curls into his side and Harry has to stop himself from slipping his hand under her shirt and feeling her warm, smooth skin against his fingertips.

"You two look cosy," Louis murmurs, eyebrow cocked as the three boys stare at them.

"Always have done," Harry says, perhaps a little sharply. Louis holds his hands up like he's making peace but Harry's still a bit put out. It helps a little when he sinks down into a chair and tugs Liam onto his lap. It helps a little more when Liam leans back against him and he can rest his hands gently on her thighs.

"We should talk about options," Zayn says quietly, moving to take his own seat on the sofa and looking over his shoulder at Louis until he sighs and falls down next to him. Niall lies down on the floor between them all, closing his eyes and resting his head on his folded hands.

"It can't be permanent," Niall says decisively. "Liam's not going to be a girl forever."

"What if I am though?" Liam asks in a small voice. Harry ignores everyone else in the room and puts his fingers on her cheek, forcing her head gently round until he can look at her.

"You're gonna change back," he says firmly, ignoring his own tiny dot of doubt. "Whether it takes a day or a week or a month. It's like, proven. In films and books and stuff."

He's grateful no one points out that his logic is so very faulty.

"I might have to leave the band though, if I don't change back soon," Liam murmurs, and Harry can feel his heart stop before it starts racing.

"Absolutely not," he says fiercely. "We'll wait until you're back to being you, like, in your old body. No one is leaving the fucking band."

"Despite what the papers say," Louis interjects brightly.

"Even if we have to postpone everything," Zayn says, his hand curling around Louis' neck and giving it a squeeze. "No leaving the band, Leeeeyum."

"Definitely not," Harry mutters grumpily, only soothed when Liam smiles happily down at him and wriggles a bit on his lap. He shifts her so she's lying in the crook of his arm and he can wrap his arm around her waist, which vastly improves his mood.

"Fingers crossed you change back overnight," Louis says slowly, and when Harry looks over at him, he's giving Harry an odd look. "But if not, what then?"

"I'll have to go shopping and buy like, bras and clothes that fit," Liam says with a slight shrug.

"Perhaps you should move into Harry's place in the meantime," Zayn muses. "Although Harry will have to pass you off as a 'female friend' or a 'mystery woman'."

A laugh bubbles out of Liam like it's the funniest thing she's ever heard. Harry tries to smile because it sounds pretty funny, Liam being mistaken for his latest conquest or whatever rubbish the papers will print, but he's inherently annoyed on her behalf because Liam shouldn't ever be reduced to just some girl linked to him like she's not one of the most important people in his life.

He's still worked up about it when the guys leave and it's just the two of them.

"Fifa?" Liam asks lazily when they're sprawled out over Liam's sofas and Liam’s long legs are proving quite a distraction.

"After we've ordered takeout," Harry says because he's starving. "I can't let you beat me on an empty stomach."

Liam just grins, looking far more delectable than she should when she's smiling so damn smugly.

.*

He's woken by someone crawling into his bed. They'd been up past midnight, Liam beating Harry every single time while they ate pizza, so he's pretty tired because it's still dark and far, far too early to be waking up on their break, but when his arm curls around Liam, he feels soft curves and long hair brushing against his skin.

"Sorry mate," he mumbles, pulling Liam into his body and wrapping his arms around her.

"It's alright," Liam whispers back.

Harry cocks open a sleepy eye to see Liam smiling at him and she really does seem okay. In fact, she looks beautiful, all sleep-soft and warm skin and bright-eyed. He really wants to kiss her, but he settles for cuddling her close and burying his face into her shoulder.

"Sleep more," he says softly as he feels Liam moving next to him, getting comfortable. He tries not to wince when her curvy bottom brushes against his dick and he quickly counts to ten. Then twenty. He's at eighty when he feels calm enough to place his hand on her tummy, over her shirt and drape himself around her. "We'll go shopping later."

He doesn't hear if she replies because he's fast asleep.

*

The next time he wakes up, it's to the welcome scent of coffee and Liam sitting on his bed, freshly out of the shower since her hair is still wet and hanging loosely down her back.

"Time to get up, sleepyhead," she teases, handing him a mug of hot, steaming coffee that Harry takes gratefully as he sits up

The sharp shock of caffeine kicks in immediately and he reaches out to wind a finger around her damp hair. "Shopping then?"

"Underwear first," Liam says immediately before she flushes. "I need a bra. I'm too like, sensitive not to wear one."

And well that's information that Harry didn't need to have, not when he's about to jump in the shower and try really hard not to picture Liam when he inevitably wanks off.

"Okay," Harry says as evenly as he can. He ruffles her hair because he definitely needs to try and remember that Liam is his mate, his brother and not a girl he finds really, really hot.

After the quickest shower he's ever had, mostly because he doesn't trust himself not to think of Liam if he gets a hand on himself, he and Liam head into town to shop, deliberately choosing the more expensive part of town where the shops aren’t so crowded and stares will hopefully be kept to a minimum. He doesn't want to think about the headlines if he's caught shopping with Liam, who essentially looks like a tomboy with her jeans too loose, cinched by a belt even though Liam keeps a hand on her waistband, just in case, a plain white t-shirt that hangs off her frame and a plaid shirt that Harry thinks might have been his, once upon a time; especially if he's caught buying her a whole wardrobe full of clothes, on account of Liam not being able to use her credit card.

There's an uncomfortable fifteen minutes where Harry sits in the main shop, keeping his head ducked down just in case, while Liam's disappeared into the changing rooms with a shop assistant. When Liam pokes her head out of the door and asks Harry to come over, he tries his best to look casual, smiling as innocently as he can at the assistant as he passes her before he steps into Liam's changing room.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Harry groans, covering his eyes. But it's too late, he's already got the image of Liam in wispy, cream coloured lingerie burned to his retinas and he's both horribly turned on and hating himself.

Liam's laugh is light and beautiful and life is terrible, he thinks sourly.

"You can look, Harry," Liam tells him softly but Harry shakes his head.

"Just buy whatever you need to and let's go before I have a heart attack," Harry says firmly, eyes still squeezed shut. "I need to just, uh, step outside."

Liam's laugh follows him out and Harry tries his best not to blush when the girl at the till looks at him curiously.

Two hours later and Harry's exhausted. Liam's bought enough clothes to last a month, he's sure, and after the lingerie debacle, she didn't call him in for an opinion on anything, just grinned at him when he took his credit card out in each shop and kissed him on the cheek as a thank you when her hand slid into his and squeezed. By the fourth shop, Liam was cuddling up to him and they were walking hand-in-hand between shops, laughing as they pointed out ridiculous-looking outfits and heels that Liam swore she'd never be able to walk in, no matter how long this whole situation lasted.

They ate lunch out, which mostly consisted of Liam sneaking food off Harry's plate while he pouted at her. By the time they head back to Harry's, their bags from Liam’s place already dropped off by a discreet driver, Liam's tucked under his arm and Harry's ignoring his phone which keeps buzzing, so he figures they've been papped somewhere along the way.

"Lou says we make a cute couple," Liam announces when she's unpacked in Harry's guestroom and found Harry in the kitchen, scrolling through his phone.

"Every single one of my friends hates you because you're beautiful," Harry says distractedly, tapping into his phone. "Mum wants to know if you're a girlfriend or a friend-friend and Gemma wants to know where you get your hair done."

"This is crazy," Liam says with a laugh, sneaking under Harry's arm to look at his phone. "Maybe I should stay indoors until I switch back."

"You'd be bored within a day," Harry says, finally putting his phone away and tickling Liam's side gently, enjoying the way she writhes against him in a vain attempt to escape.

"Not if you entertained me," Liam says blithely.

Harry stares at her, certain she doesn't mean that the way it sounds, but she's moving away before he can read her properly. She disappears upstairs while he tries to figure out a way to explain Liam to his mum in a way that won't make him sound crazy but won't give his mum the wrong impression either. He's still trying to figure out the right wording when Liam comes back down. He glances up, his gaze caught when he sees long, slim legs in denim shorts and a vest top that it's probably not warm enough for, but then again Liam always has run hotter than the rest of them. He can see a pink, lacy bra underneath her white, clingy vest and he has to grab hold of the counter just to occupy his hands.

If he didn't know any better, he'd be certain Liam was trying to drive him crazy, but he's not buying the innocent-looking smile on her face either. Her hair is freshly brushed and all but inviting him to bury his hands in it and her skin is tanned from the South American sun. God, he wants to touch her.

"What do you want to do then?" Liam asks him, seemingly unaware of the effect she's having on his body.

Harry's mind is utterly blank.

"I'll uh, just watch telly then," Liam says when he stays silent, and Harry wonders if he's imagining the hurt tone to her voice.

He waits until she's settled, lying on his sofa like she normally would, legs splayed across the cushions and a hand behind her head and it's so familiar. Little moments that ground him in this weird reality they find themselves, because Liam's still Liam and Harry's still Harry and he gets smacked in the face with hourly reminders of how much he loves Liam.

He grabs his phone and wanders upstairs, calling his mum and fielding away her questions until she gets the hint, then calling Lou and Grimmy and a hundred other people questioning who Liam is.

When he traipses back downstairs, a bit emotionally drained from too many questions he can’t answer, Liam's dozing on the sofa. Without questioning it, he carefully sinks down next to her and gently pulls her in, tangling their legs together and sliding his arm under her head until they're pillowed together and he closes his eyes, falling asleep to Liam's tiny little snuffling noises.

*

There's hands tickling his belly and he tries to wriggle away, protesting in a mumble because he doesn't want to wake up. But gentle fingertips won't stop stroking his skin and it feels kind of nice and he lets out a low moan when he realises there's a weight settled over his hips. Instinctively, he reaches out blindly to close his hands around soft hips, his eyes slowly opening to the vision of Liam straddling him, staring down at him through half-lidded eyes.

"Liam?" Harry croaks, his thumbs drifting under her vest top in search of soft skin, still half asleep and a bit dazed. "Whatcha up to?"

"Remember when I said I was curious about what other stuff felt like?" Liam mumbles, like she's a bit embarrassed but determined to speak anyway. Harry's always loved that about her.

"Yeah, I remember," Harry says softly, reaching up to tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ear. He can feel himself stirring but there's a look in Liam's eyes that's telling him to not move away.

"Aren't you curious?" Liam asks him quickly, before she ducks down and she's suddenly only inches away from him.

His gaze drops helplessly to her lips, plump and pink and so very kissable. "Like you wouldn't believe," Harry says honestly, watching her smile curve up higher. "But you're Liam. And as much as I'd like to kiss you and drag you to bed," he feels her shiver against him at his words, "we're in a band together, Liam. And you're my best mate. I can't, like, take advantage or whatever."

"You're not taking advantage," Liam murmurs and she brushes her lips against Harry's cheek. "And who else can I do this with? I'd rather it was someone I knew, someone I trusted, Harry, than a stranger in a bar."

"You're not going to a bar," Harry says immediately, his hands tightening on her hips and he ignores her arch look. "Or shagging strangers."

"Oh really?" Liam says and she sounds so stubborn, like she's about to march straight out and do it just to spite him that Harry slides his hand into her thick hair and tugs her down, his lips finding hers before he can second-guess himself.

He swallows her gasp of surprise, kissing her until she starts kissing him back, tentative at first then more confidently until he feels her tongue sliding shyly against his. He groans, his hands moving down her body until he's holding her against him, bodies flush and he knows the second she feels his arousal; he can tell by the way she stiffens slightly against him. Then she's whimpering and clawing at his shoulders, her mouth a bit wild as she bites down on his bottom lip, making him moan loudly before she sucks on it and god, everything feels incredible.

Harry's desperate to touch her, to discover all the secrets of her body but he keeps his hands stubbornly on her hips, letting her writhe against him deliciously until he thinks he might go mad with it.

"Harry," she moans, trailing her lips across his jaw and down to his neck, biting down softly and letting her tongue circle his flesh before she blows against it, making him shiver and groan as his hips jerk up helplessly. "Put your hands on me before I smack you."

"Kinky," Harry manages to say shakily before he slides his hands under her vest to trail up her back. "Didn't know you were into punishment in the bedroom, babe."

"You're such a dick," Liam murmurs but her hands are on the hem of his top, trying to pull it up so he figures she probably doesn't mean it. Probably. He sits up, an arm curled around her waist to steady her as he helps her get his shirt over his head and when he falls back against the sofa, Liam's grinning down at him.

She's so fucking beautiful.

He slides his hand up her arm to cup her cheek, smiling at the way she tilts her head into his touch. "This is going to get so complicated," he says quietly. "Still in?"

"Definitely," Liam nods, her eyes burning fiercely as she leans down and traces his butterfly with her index finger.

"Yeah, me too, but you're wearing too many clothes," he complains with a pout as her lips press against his chest.

Liam giggles as she straightens and whips her vest off easily. She unbuttons her shorts and wriggles out of them, leaving her only in her matching pink underwear and Harry reckons it's the best thing he's ever spent money on in his life.

He rests his hand on her hip, catching her gaze and watching carefully as he slides his hand up her waist until he's cupping her breast gently, still watching for her reaction. But Liam's still smiling down at him, encouraging as always and she arches her back slightly, pushing into Harry's hand.

"God you're so beautiful, Liam," Harry murmurs as he runs his other hand up to her other breast and lets his thumbs gaze over her nipples through the slip of lace, watching as Liam gasps and shivers. "So sensitive."

He pushes himself up until he's sitting, Liam straddling his lap as he nuzzles against her breast before he turns to mouth at her nipple through the bra. He hears Liam's whimper and he reaches behind her to unhook it, pulling the material away from her slowly until it drops silently to the floor. He traces her nipples reverently before he leans in to take one into his mouth, sucking gently at first until she's squirming in his lap then he shifts, sucking harder on her other nipple until she's breathless and her hands are buried in his hair, tugging gently as she arches into his touch.

He gently lowers her back against the sofa, kneeling over her as his hands toy with her lace panties. "Yeah?" he asks, low and husky with arousal.

She nods up at him, nibbling at her bottom lip as she lifts her hips and Harry slides her panties down, uncomfortably hard in his jeans as Liam lays on his sofa, naked and lovely and flushing all over. He tugs his jeans off, suddenly all thumbs while Liam's watching him with a soft smile and hungry eyes.

He settles back over her, his legs between hers as he runs a hand up her thigh, feeling her quiver beneath his touch. Liam reaches up to kiss him, slow and sweet and making him ache with all the love he feels for her right now. His fingers trail up the inside of her thigh until his hand settles between her legs, his fingers resting against her clit but not moving, not yet.

He nuzzles into her throat and lets his fingers push gently against her clit, smiling when she bucks up helplessly and makes a noise that Harry wants to hear over and over again. His fingers slip down until they're pushing inside of her, tight and warm and wetter than he thought she'd be. Harry swallows her moans as he slowly fucks her with two fingers until she's breathless and whining into his mouth.

His thumb brushes against her clit and he can feel her hips rolling up like she's silently asking for more. He lets his thumb circle against her nub while he continues to finger her slowly, lifting his head to watch her as her head falls back, her eyes closed as she pants helplessly, rocking her hips up to match his rhythm.

"Fuck, Harry," she whimpers and his breath catches as she lets out a long, loud moan as she clenches around his fingers, trembling as she comes, slick and wet against his hand.

He gathers her close, wincing as his achingly hard dick gets caught between them but he kisses her hair, her cheek, her lips until she opens her eyes, unfocused at first until she zeroes in on his face.

"Fuck, Harry," she repeats and follows it with a shaky laugh. "Fuck, that was incredible!"

Harry tries not to show how smug he's feeling but when he feels her hand smack against his chest, he figures he failed miserably.

"Heyyy," he protests quietly before he dips down to kiss her. This time she's much more enthusiastic and he can feel his dick swell again. "You ready for round two then?"

"Fuck yeah," Liam says excitedly, her hands running up and down his back.

He kisses her again just because she's adorable when her eyes light up that way before he gets up to grab his wallet and fishes out a condom. He holds it out to her with a raised eyebrow and Liam nods, all but ripping it from his hands as she quickly tears the packet open. There's a moment's hesitation before she reaches down and grips his cock gently, letting her hand stroke up and down a few times, her eyes mesmerised before he tilts her head up and kisses her sweetly. "You keep stroking me babe and you'll make me come before either of us wants me to."

Liam laughs softly against his lips, stilling her hand before she pulls back, her eyes shining as she carefully rolls the condom down to sheath his cock. She lies back down, smiling as Harry slides his fingers back inside her, making sure she's still slick. He pulls out and lifts his fingers to his mouth, licking them gently as Liam stares up at him, enthralled.

"You taste so good, babe," Harry tells her huskily, watching her smile widen. "You ready?"

"Yeah Harry," she whispers, spreading her legs carefully as Harry settles between them, guiding his cock to her entrance.

"Might hurt," he tells her, regret tracing his tone because he really, really doesn't want to hurt her. She nods once, her face tight, and he leans down to kiss her, waiting until she relaxes against her before he slides in, still kissing her. She lets out a loud moan as he buries himself inside, until he's as deep as he can go and he waits again, bracing himself on his elbows above her until she opens her eyes. She's smiling and she's looking at him like he's everything, which is all Harry needs as an answer before he starts moving slowly. It takes a few seconds before she lifts her hips, trying to match his rhythm. He keeps his pace achingly slow, getting used to the feel of Liam tight around him as she bends her knees slightly. Then he buries his head into her shoulder as he starts to move faster, hearing her breath catch and then her body tremble under his. He slides into her slick heat until her moans get higher and longer. She comes with a muffled scream and he shudders above her, feeling her clench around him and he comes, hard and fierce before he loses all his strength and falls down on top of her, breathing hard as he tries to find the strength to move before he squashes her.

When he does try to move after a few dozen breaths, Liam's arms contract around him, keeping him locked in place on top of her.

"M'heavy," he murmurs thickly, still panting.

"S'nice," Liam murmurs back, so he stays where he is.

He doesn't know how long they lie there, but he's stupidly happy and his heart is racing and Liam's playing with his hair and it's a nice way to spend a post-coital moment with your bandmate who is temporary a girl and has just fucked his brains out.

"We can do that again, right?" Liam says eventually and Harry huffs out a laugh before he lifts his head and looks down at her.

"Hell yeah," he mutters before he kisses her because kissing Liam is becoming easily addictive. "How was it for you?"

"Alright," Liam says nonchalantly, which Harry takes a massive exception to because he's completely fucked out while she’s making jokes about his manly prowess or whatever. Ego has him tickling her until she's gasping with tears in her eyes. "Okay! Okay it was amazing! Two orgasms, well done Mr Styles!"

"Thanks," Harry says, his fingers relaxing from tickling to stroking. "We'll aim for three next time."

"You're so bloody competitive," Liam says fondly, and Harry just shrugs because it's true. He _is_ competitive.

He eventually pulls out of her and disposes of the condom before he gives her a piggyback upstairs to shower, fulfilling his earlier fantasy of watching Liam come in the shower except this time it's his fingers she's tightening around as she falls against him, and it's a more stunning sight than he could have imagined.

When they're lying in bed that night, wrapped around each other, Harry takes a moment to wonder at how hard he's falling for Liam and how it's so impossible because they can't be like this forever. Then he kisses her and she kisses him back eagerly and he pushes the thought way, because worrying about it won't solve anything.

*

He wakes up first in the morning and it takes him a second to realise Liam's still soft and long limbed and sprawled out across his chest. He wakes her up with a slow, easy orgasm as she breathily contracts around his fingers then puts up a vague protest when she whispers after that she wants to return the favour in the shower. All half-hearted protests go out the window when her hand closes around his dick and she strokes him to a hot and heavy orgasm that he almost immediately repeats weakly when he watches Liam lick his come from her hand, swirling her tongue around her dripping fingers.

"What are we going to do today?" Liam asks as she struggles to wrap her hair in a towel, clean and fresh and scrubbed pink all over. Harry laughs as he reaches over to help her, giving her a kiss on the cheek when he's fixed it.

His gaze sidles over to the bed he hasn't made since their pre-shower sexcapades but Liam just shakes her head, a smile on her lips. "No, I want to go do things!"

Harry tugs her close for a hug because she's so utterly Liam and he wants to breathe in her scent for a moment. "Like what?"

"Let's go out for lunch and meet the guys and go dancing tonight!" Liam says all in a rush and Harry grins at her eagerness. "Let's just laze around London and get papped and you can sign autographs while I just stand there and look pretty and we can make out in Hyde Park and just watch the world go by or something."

"That's a lot to fit into a day, babe," Harry says, although it all sounds idyllic. He was half-afraid Liam would want to go do something much more energetic but strolling around London is one of his favourite things to do, and being with Liam is definitely one of his favourite things to do.

Liam decides on jeans and a pink vest top before she pulls on one of Harry's jackets and it takes them another twenty minutes to leave the house because seeing Liam in his clothes does something to him. He has to kiss her senseless until she's gasping and pulling away, arguing that they'll never leave the house if Harry doesn't stop grabbing at her and Harry doesn't see the issue there, but Liam fixes him with a steely gaze and Harry figures they're definitely going outside now. First, he grabs one of his spare bandanas and insists on tying Liam's hair up into a ponytail with it. It's another ten minutes before Liam moans against his lips and pulls away, opening the front door with a pointed look, even if her mouth does look beautifully ravaged and thoroughly kissed and Harry can’t help but feel smug about everything right now.

He grins when Liam's hand slips into his as they walk together, which only widens when Liam starts swinging her arm and Harry thinks they probably look like a couple of kids, but he doesn't mind, not when Liam presses up against him as they pass people in the street. And not when she kisses him while they wait to cross the road or while they stand in the queue for lunch at a sandwich bar. They make it all the way to Hyde Park before Harry gets stopped for his first autograph where he politely brushes away questions about Liam. They find a quiet spot under a tree and Liam settles herself between Harry's legs, which he thinks is a truly wonderful idea and he leans back, enjoying the weight of Liam's slim body against his, their hands tangled together.

Liam's running commentary on everyone that passes them by keeps him amused until he distracts her with a kiss that he keeps easy and light, even as his hands itch to slide under her top.

"We're going to get papped," Liam murmurs, but she makes no effort to move away.

"Good," Harry answers unthinkingly, but Liam just smiles into his kiss and he slides his hand into her hair, tipping her head back slightly so he can kiss her neck. "How's this for making out in Hyde Park?"

Liam laughs and Harry wonders if he's ever been so blissfully happy in his life.

*

The boys all make the effort to get to the club, a small members only one that Harry belongs to where they can’t get papped or asked for fan pictures.

"Saw some interesting pictures of you two today in the park," Niall says into Harry's ear when they're at their table on their third round. "Something you want to share?"

"She's curious," Harry says, and he looks up at Niall with a vague plea in his eyes. "She's curious and she was joking about picking someone up in a bar and it just didn't sound all that funny to me."

"Hey, mate, I'm not judging," Niall assures him, his hand dropping to Harry's knee and squeezing as Harry lets out a sharp breath of relief. "Liam's hot and you make a cute couple. But you know it can't last, yeah? She's gonna turn back."

"Yeah I know," Harry says, even though he tries not to think about it very much, not when Liam's in a short skirt that shows off her slim legs and she keeps glancing over at Harry and smiling. It feels very much like how having a girlfriend feels and Harry _knows_ he's too besotted. He knows it's going to end badly but he can't seem to help himself, especially when Liam's exercising absolutely zero restraint too. "I love her."

"You love Liam, or you love Liam as she is now?" Niall asks quietly.

Harry's heart clenches and he drags in a ragged breath. "You know I've always loved Liam. But it's different now. There's something there between us, whether we acted on it or not."

"You're so screwed, mate," Niall says cheerfully and Harry manages a wry smile.

By the end of the night, Liam's driven him utterly mad with her dance moves that he'd always found a bit silly and endearing onstage, but tonight he's had to watch her grind and wriggle around in that skirt and he's been captivated by the way her face lights up and she's giggled through dancing with Zayn and Louis and Niall, and brushed off men who've approached her with a smile and a shake of the head. When she finally managed to drag him onto the dancefloor and she'd wrapped herself around him _"because you're dangerous when you dance, babe,"_ he'd been all for dragging her home right then and there.

But they'd stuck around and finally they were in a taxi home and Liam's whispering in his ear about learning how to give Harry a blowjob and he's certain he's going to explode before they get home. He's got a firm hold on her hands to stop them wandering, even as she's giggling in his ear and Harry has to close his eyes and pray they get home without becoming an embarrassing international news item.

As soon as they're inside, Harry bends quickly and gets Liam over his shoulder, swatting at her arse as he carries her upstairs and lays her gently on the bed. She lifts up to strip her top off but Harry stops her.

"Not yet babe," he says, because he's been dreaming about this since the moment they reached the club and he has plans. He’s got fantasies. He slips her heels off before he tugs his shirt over his head and climbs onto the bed. He settles between Liam's legs, seeing her curious look before he reaches under her skirt and gently slides her panties down.

"Oh," Liam gasps before she squirms, her expression eager as she waits to see what Harry's got planned. He slides his hands from around her ankles up her calves, squeezing gently as he skims over her smooth skin to her knees and forces her to bend, even as her knees try to close instinctively, Harry stops her with a wicked smile that's absolutely sinful, he's been told. He kisses the inside of her knee, feeling the shudder that runs through her body. He nips at the inside of her thigh, trailing his lips upwards, amused by the breathy little sighs she's already making. He lets his hands rest at the top of her thighs, keeping her legs spread as he sucks a mark right near the top, at the juncture until Liam's squirming underneath him, her skirt covering him.

He slides his hand across, parting her folds gently as he slides a finger inside. She's wet and gasping and Harry grins as he fingers her slowly before he leans in and breathes in the scent of sex. He flicks his tongue against her clit and he feels her jerk underneath him before she lets out a loud cry and falls silent, her hips swaying up gently in silent invitation. He slides another finger inside as he takes her clit into his mouth, sucking gently as he listens to her whimpering, sliding his fingers in a bit faster as he tastes her. He slides a third finger inside and sucks hard and that's all it takes before she comes, slick and sweet and he licks her until she's pulling hard on his hair and begging him to stop. He licks his lips before he presses a kiss against her thigh and lifts his head, grinning when he sees how wild she looks, spread out against his bed with her hair everywhere and her pupils blown, her clothes askew from where she's been writhing around and Harry loves her. He lifts himself up over her and kisses her, letting her taste herself and she moans into his mouth.

"Wanna blow you, Harry" she whispers, her voice hoarse and desperate as her fingers try to undo the button on his jeans.

"Yeah okay," Harry says eagerly because he's hard as anything right now after he's tasted her orgasm and he helps her, shimmying out of his jeans in record time before he flips them so she's straddling his hips, still almost fully dressed and looking beautifully wanton before she leans down to kiss his chest, trailing her lips down his body, kissing every tattoo she passes before she's hooking her fingers into his waistband and pulling his boxers down, his dick springing free and making Liam giggle.

"S'not sexy to laugh at a man's dick, babe," Harry whines, except he's lying because Liam's giggle does funny things to his belly and just makes him that much harder.

When she glances up at him, like she's looking for reassurance, he feels so much love for her, for Liam, _his_ Liam that he tangles his hand in her hair and smiles. "You don't have to if you don't want to, Liam. It's okay."

"Want to," Liam mutters before she opens her mouth and swallows him down. She gags a bit but quickly recovers and she soon finds a slow rhythm that manages to drive him to the edge far too quickly. Her hand slides around his balls and squeezes carefully and Harry lets out a hiss, his free hand grabbing the sheets and holding on as he tries to keep his orgasm banked back. When Liam's hand slides around to grip his shaft and she lifts her head until she's only sucking at his tip while her hand strokes him firmly, Harry feels like he's on fire.

"Babe you're so good," he bites off as waves of arousal threaten to sink him. "Such a beautiful mouth. Always had a beautiful mouth. God you're so good at this babe."

Her mouth is warm and wet and he’s so close. He pulls gently on her hair, his breathing ragged. "I’m close, Liam," he warns her with a sharp jerk of his hips that he can’t hold back.

Liam winces as she pulls off and strokes him as she slides back up the bed. Harry reaches for her, tugging her in for a desperate kiss as he tastes himself on her tongue and he comes with a low groan, his hips rocking up as Liam strokes him through it before he collapses back against the mattress.

"Jesus," he mutters when he can finally talk. "Your mouth is lethal, Liam."

Liam hums happily from where she's resting her head on his shoulder, her hand wiping on the sheet before she dances her fingertips across his chest. "Go to sleep, Harry."

Amused, he drags the covers over them and settles Liam into his side as he lies on his back and stares up at the ceiling. He waits until he hears Liam's breathing evening out before he kisses her cheek and closes his eyes.

*

The week runs away from them, disappearing in a blur of dates Liam wants to go on, like going up the London Eye and trips to pubs in the countryside outside of London. They get papped a few times but since Liam wears an assortment of snapbacks and trilbys that she borrows from Harry, mostly her face is obscured in photographs and no one has connected her startling resemblance to Harry’s missing bandmate, much to his relief. They go to a cinema outside of town and end up not watching a movie because they're busy making out and giggling in the back row. Liam drags Harry out for a jog every morning with promises of shower sex and they fall asleep in each other's arms. Harry wonders how anything could ever be more perfect.

On Sunday, he wakes up alone for the first time in a week. His bed is still warm, so Liam must be downstairs making breakfast or hopefully coffee, since he can’t hear her in the bathroom. He waits for a few minutes before he gives in and climbs out of bed, stretching as he heads out of the door and downstairs. To his disappointment, she's not in the kitchen as he flicks the coffee machine on, but he moves through the house, it's stark silence growing louder with every room he checks.

He heads back upstairs and grabs his phone, dialling Liam's number. It goes straight through to voicemail but he doesn't leave a message. He dials her twice more before he jumps in the shower, three more times as he's getting dressed and once while he sips on coffee that burns his throat as he grabs his car keys and heads out. He makes it across London in half an hour and Liam's phone is still going to voicemail as he pulls up at Liam's apartment. There's no answer when he knocks and he tries calling her once more before he gives up and heads back to his car. He tries calling Zayn who doesn't answer, which isn't exactly unusual, before he calls Louis.

"Harry!" Louis answers on the first ring, which in itself is worrying because Louis' almost as bad at answering his phone during their breaks as Zayn is.

"Hey Lou," Harry says, already throwing his car into reverse and figuring out the fastest route to Louis' at this time across London. "Don't suppose you've seen Liam then?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I have," Louis says. There's a bit of noise in the background that Harry can't follow. "Liam's here, Harry, at mine. He's here."

"Don't let him leave. Why the fuck isn't he at home, in my bed?" Harry grumbles, because he's up at a stupid time in the morning and Liam ran out of his bed and his home and now he's on some wild goose chase across London trying to track him down.

"Harry," Louis sounds like he's on the verge of laughing. He frowns down at his phone and turns up the volume on his bluetooth. "Just get here. And ask him that question, okay? That very question."

"Yeah alright," Harry says tetchily because he wants to be home right now with Liam curled up next to him and making him go out for a jog with bribes of shower handjobs and fresh coffee after. It's the simple things, Harry thinks with a faint grin as he puts his foot down and curses at the early morning London traffic.

By the time he pulls up at Louis', he's had two near misses with other cars and shouted at no fewer than twelve bad drivers slowing him down. He takes a second to stare at the front door before he's out and knocking on it, tapping his thigh impatiently as he waits.

"Hi Harry, fancy seeing you here," Louis says cheerfully as he throws his door open. He's grinning but Harry doesn't think there's been anything fun about his morning since the moment he woke up in bed alone. "Liam, Harry's here to see you!"

"I'll just wait out here," Harry mutters, kicking at a stone on Louis' doorstep and ignoring the raised eyebrow Louis sends him. He doesn’t feel like explaining to Louis that he doesn't want to go inside because there'll be less chance of him being able to convince Liam to get in his damn car and come back to his for cuddles and sex.

Well, it makes sense in his head, anyway.

He looks up when he hears arguing and Liam's being shoved through the door and Louis winks at Harry over Liam's shoulder before the door closes firmly behind them, leaving them outside in the warm May sun.

Harry lets his gaze travel over Liam's face, seeing both Liam's there, the sharp and the soft, the feminine and the masculine. He looks gorgeous and Harry’s missed him. He wants to reach out and stroke Liam's jaw, to feel his stubble under his fingertips, but the way Liam's staring determinedly at the ground and not looking at him makes him think it wouldn't be welcome.

"Hi," Harry tries with a smile.

A beat passes before Liam jerks his head, which is probably as much as he's going to get, Harry realises.

"Was lonely this morning when I woke up," he tries again, his smile dropping when he sees Liam's shoulders tense. He sighs heavily. "Liam, can we please go back to mine and talk?"

Liam looks like he's going to shake his head and flat out refuse when instead he takes a deep breath before glancing up, finally, and Harry attempts another smile.

"Yeah, I guess," he says eventually, his voice low and a bit rough, making Harry’s tummy swoop before he follows Harry back to the car.

It's a silent trip back home.

Inside, Harry flicks on the kettle, grabbing two cups and making tea for them both before he joins Liam at the kitchen table.

"You want to tell me why you left this morning?" Harry asks quietly, his hands wrapping around his mug as he stares down at his tea. "I missed you, you know."

"Don't," Liam says roughly and Harry bites down on his bottom lip because he needs a distraction from the pain in his chest. "It's not, this can't like. You don’t have to pretend or something. I switched back, Harry."

Harry's throat closes up and he swallows quickly. "You're Liam," he corrects carefully. "That doesn't change anything for me, Liam. Unless like, it does for you. I mean, it's okay if you don't want to. Anymore. With me."

When he looks up, Liam's staring at him, eyebrows knitted together. "You don't care that I'm not a girl anymore?"

"Not really," Harry says honestly, his voice pitched low. "I wasn't, like, this week wasn't about you being a girl. Not really. I just, I guess it just woke me up a bit. To what I want. Louis always says I'm a bit slow."

"No you're not," Liam says automatically, and Harry's face lights up at Liam's denial. "But maybe I am."

Harry puts down his mug, moving slowly because he doesn't want to catch Liam off-guard or have him jerk away from harry. He covers Liam's hand with his own, twisting them around until he can lace their fingers together. It's different, holding Liam's hand like this but it still makes him smile the same. "You're not slow, babe."

Liam lets out a long sigh that has Harry's eyebrows rising in surprise. Liam's staring at their joined hands and he seems to be mulling over something. Harry's content to wait, knowing that sometimes Liam likes to take his time and find the right words, because so often he can't. "Do you ever wonder why I woke up as a girl?"

It's not the question Harry was expecting, but he gives it some thought because Liam must be asking for a reason. "I don't know," he says eventually, rubbing his thumb over Liam's knuckles lightly. "Do you?"

"When we were in Brazil, that last night," Liam says heavily. "You were flirting with that girl. And the stewardess on the plane home."

It feels like a million years ago, but Harry can remember. "You were jealous," he says in realisation, his hands squeezing Liam's unintentionally.

"Yeah," Liam says with a shaky laugh. "Didn't mean to turn into a girl though. But I just wanted you to look at me that way. Like you wanted me. This last week Harry, god it was perfect."

"It _is_ perfect," Harry says fiercely, standing up and pulling Liam to his feet, tugging him in and placing Liam's hands around his waist, keeping them there by covering them with his own. "I'm stupid, Liam. Don't hold that against me. I just didn't realise, that's all. If I'd known, if I'd really _looked_ , then I would have known. I'd have kissed you and tried my hardest to get you in my bed ages ago."

"You wouldn't," Liam says, but he's smiling, just a little.

"I'm quite happy to prove it mate," Harry says, his voice dropping low intentionally, grinning when Liam's eyes darken. He leans in, cupping Liam's face with his hand and giving in to his need to stroke Liam's jaw. When he presses his lips against Liam's, Liam makes a funny little noise that Harry recognises immediately and he coaxes Liam's lips open, letting his tongue slide into Liam's mouth as they kiss, until he pushes Liam back into his chair and straddles his hips. Liam's face is flushed and his lips are pinker than ever, and Harry just wants to kiss him forever, wants to keep him just like this.

"You want to go to bed then?" Harry asks hopefully, grinning when Liam's hands slide around him to cup his arse. "Oh god, if you're not going to carry me to bed I'm going to punch you in the dick, Liam."

Liam grins as he rolls his hips up, their dicks grinding together and Harry whimpers as he clutches at Liam's shirt and pouts down at him.

"S'not nice to threaten my dick, mate," Liam murmurs, his eyes wicked and bright.

"Sorry babe," Harry says contritely, leaning down to kiss Liam slow and carefully. "I'll make it up to you, I swear."

Liam stands up, holding Harry against him and he has a brief moment to admire Liam's strength and an even briefer moment to wonder if Liam could hold him long enough to fuck him against a wall because he thinks he’d really, really like that.

"Can't wait," Liam murmurs, nuzzling into Harry's neck for a moment and making him shiver before he carries him over to the sofa and lays him down before he settles over him with a question in his eyes. "Are you sure? Because if this is you trying to not hurt my feelings or something, then I’d just rather we didn’t?"

"Was well grumpy when you weren’t in my bed this morning," Harry murmurs, tugging Liam down until they’re inches apart. "Want you in my bed every morning, Liam. Want to hold your hand and kiss you and share showers and hear you crying out my name when I make you come. I want Gemma to come over and quiz you on your intentions and I want the boys to tease us when we’re stupidly soppy. Just want _you_ Liam."

"Yeah?" Liam asks, his voice trembling as he leans down to kiss Harry fiercely and Harry opens up for him easily.

"Love you, Liam," Harry whispers against Liam's lips. He feels Liam start against him before he ducks down, Liam’s lips brushing against his chest where Liam's undoing his shirt and he swears he feels Liam whispering repeating the words against his skin, over and over again.


End file.
